Senior Labour MP Taiwo Owatemi has been slammed for claiming taxpayer money so that her pet dog can live with her. A new document has revealed that Owatemi, who is helping with the implementation of £5 billion in cuts to disability benefits, is claiming £900 a year extra in rent so that her dog Bella can live with her. She made the claim in August of 2024 along with other housing claims. A Labour spokesperson said that MPs are required to work in two locations, their constituency and Westminster, and some require housing support to do so.
A Labour source also said that it is not uncommon for landlords to charge extra to tenants when they want their pets to live with them. However, disability campaigner Hannah Campbell, who lost a leg when she was blown up during the Iraq war in 2007, has criticised Owatemi's pet rent claim amid planned cuts to disability benefits. Since sustaining injuries in conflict, Campbell has become a disability rights campaigner, and branded Owatemi's claim a “disgarce”.
Campbell said: “It’s one set of rules for them and one set of rules for everyone else. They are not leading by example.
“When disability money is being cut, to hear that an MP has received £900 for a dog really is shocking.”
She added: “As a disabled person, I know how vulnerable most people on benefits are and I cannot support the cuts. I acknowledge that difficult decisions have to be made to balance the books.
“I’d suggest they start with the politicians and their dogs.”
Meanwhile, John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s surely enough for MPs to get the rent on a second home paid for without the need to pick up the tab for their furry friends as well.
“No one begrudges a politician wanting a pet, but they should pay for the cost themseles.”
MPs can claim expenses to help cover work and living costs if their constituency is outside of London, as they are required to travel between the two.
“MPs are required to work in two places: their constituency and in Westminster,” a spokesman for the expenses watchdog IPSA said. “IPSA is committed to supporting a Parliament where people without the private finances to fund working from two locations themselves are not prevented from becoming an MP.
“That is why we fund accommodation costs, within strict limits. It is common for landlords to include additional surcharges in rental agreements.”
IPSA said they told Owatemi to itemise the expense as “pet rent”, something they now say was a mistake. They said: “On this occasion, IPSA agreed to fund a surcharge but gave incorrect advice as to how it should be described. We have apologised directly to the MP and are sorry for any confusion.”
